Authorities say a 22-year-old homeless woman stole an elderly woman's purse while she was shopping, an incident that caused heart trouble for the victim. According to her arrest report, Kristie Nicole Gay removed the purse, which held $800 in cash plus travelers checks, from a shopping cart at CVS on U.S. 19 just south of State Road 52 on Tuesday. Gay was caught hiding near the store and admitted taking the purse, the report said. But when the woman came to reclaim it, about $600 was missing, the report said. She got upset and needed paramedics to take her to the hospital for heart problems, the report said. Gay remained in jail Wednesday, charged with grand theft and theft from a victim 65 or older. Bail was set at $5,000.

PORT RICHEY

Sightseeing fee plan hits bump

Last month, the City Council voted 3-2 to draft an ordinance creating a $7.50 per person fee for passengers boarding sightseeing and casino boats in the city. On Tuesday, at the urging of council member Phil Abts, the council revisited the issue and deadlocked at 2-2 over whether to move forward with preparing the ordinance. Abts argued that the fee would be a financial burden for residents in this poor economy. Mayor Richard Rober joined Abts in opposing the ordinance. Vice Mayor Mark Hashim, who proposed the fee to raise money for waterfront redevelopment, was absent from the meeting. The council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance at its next meeting on Jan. 13.

NEW PORT RICHEY

Talk of Main Street lawsuit on hold

City officials have put off until January a discussion of possible legal action against the developers of Main Street Landing, the once highly anticipated downtown project that has sat partially completed for more than two years. City Attorney Tom Morrison did not attend Tuesday's meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which is made up of City Council members, and officials said they had questions for him about recent correspondence from Main Street Landing developers Ken and Linda McGurn. The discussion had been slated for Tuesday. The McGurns on Friday notified the city that they were opting out of their city contract, which promised a $1.25-million grant if they finished the project by March. On Tuesday, the couple sent the city a second letter, in which they expressed their shock that the city was considering suing them over the unfinished project.